Therapy for adopted children and foster children

Therapy is critical for an adopted or foster child. They can start as early as the age of four, when they begin having language; when they can begin processing their experience.
It is really important for an adopted or foster child to have a safe environment in which they can heal and express these most intimate and deep parts of themselves that they do have shame about.
I do attachment family therapy. I believe it is critical, in my professional opinion, that you work with a therapist who understands the issues around foster care and adoption and knows how to facilitate attachment between you and your child. That's critical.
I typically say that children should not be in their own, individual therapy who have attachment issues. That doesn't make sense. They need the parent in the room with them, working on the issues; creating a safe environment, so the child can build trust and can attach.

Jeanette Yoffe, MA, MFT

Adoption & Family Therapist

Jeanette Yoffe earned her master's degree in Clinical Psychology, specializing in children, from Antioch University. She treats children with serious psychological problems secondary to histories of abuse, neglect, and or multiple placements. Jeanette's desire to become a child therapist with a special focus on adopted and foster care issues derived from her own experience of being adopted and moving through the foster care system. She runs a monthly support group called Adopt Salon for all members of the adoption triad in Los Angeles.

Therapy is critical for an adopted or foster child. They can start as early as the age of four, when they begin having language; when they can begin processing their experience.
It is really important for an adopted or foster child to have a safe environment in which they can heal and express these most intimate and deep parts of themselves that they do have shame about.
I do attachment family therapy. I believe it is critical, in my professional opinion, that you work with a therapist who understands the issues around foster care and adoption and knows how to facilitate attachment between you and your child. That's critical.
I typically say that children should not be in their own, individual therapy who have attachment issues. That doesn't make sense. They need the parent in the room with them, working on the issues; creating a safe environment, so the child can build trust and can attach.